# Member Tools vs Epistle

Member Tools and Epistle both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Epistle's written reviews are positive against 59% of Member Tools's. Epistle also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Member Tools's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ratings volume (100K vs 9). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Epistle sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Member Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Member Tools against 5.0 for Epistle. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Member Tools has 100K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Member Tools's written reviews are positive against 100% of Epistle's.

Member Tools ships an update monthly, Epistle every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Member Tools | Epistle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (100K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/member-tools/id391093033/reviews) | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epistle/id6498960558/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **100K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 58.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 128 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints](https://appshunter.io/developer/319828224) | [Epistle LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453262687) |

## What reviewers say

### Member Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/member-tools/id391093033)

This app helps members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints connect with their local congregations. It offers a directory, event calendars, meetinghouse and temple locators, and tools for leaders to manage membership information and reports. Members can also manage their contact details and access temple resources.

**Highlights:** Ward and stake member directory, Event calendar access, Meetinghouse and temple locator, Membership reports for leaders, Record management for bishops, Temple ordinance schedules, Custom member groups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful tool
- 👍 Great app when it works
- 💡 Useful for callings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🔁 Constant sync issues
- 🔒 Login problems
- 💤 Slow and laggy

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when accessing directory
- Sync failures and data not updating
- Blank screens and login issues
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to update member information
- Integration with other church apps
- Improved calendar functionality
- Expanded directory access beyond ward/stake


### Epistle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epistle/id6498960558)

This app facilitates communication and financial support for missionaries. It allows for easy sharing of ministry updates with photos and videos, automatically sending them to ministry partners who can respond with engagement. It simplifies the process of connecting with supporters and managing ministry outreach.

**Highlights:** Share ministry updates with photos and video, Automatic update distribution to partners, Ministry partner engagement (likes, prayers, comments), Manage ministry sites, Connect with ministry partners, Automated email platform

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One Epistle Site | $17.99 | per month |
| Two Epistle Sites | $39.99 | per month |
| Three Epistle Sites | $59.99 | per month |
| Four Epistle Sites | $79.99 | per month |
| Five Epistle Sites | $89.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Member Tools free?

Member Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Epistle free?

Epistle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Member Tools or Epistle?

Epistle is rated higher. Member Tools averages 4.9 out of 5 from 100K ratings, while Epistle averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.

### Do Member Tools or Epistle have ads?

Neither Member Tools nor Epistle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Member Tools or Epistle?

Member Tools ships an update monthly, and Epistle every 3 weeks. Most recently, Member Tools was updated on September 25, 2026 and Epistle on August 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*